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Deadly blast at Pakistan meeting | Deadly blast at Pakistan meeting |
(40 minutes later) | |
At least 27 people have been killed in a blast in Pakistan's tribal region after a meeting of murdered ex-PM Benazir Bhutto's party, reports say. | |
It happened on the final day of campaigning ahead of the country's general election on Monday. | It happened on the final day of campaigning ahead of the country's general election on Monday. |
A security official said the explosion took place in Parachinar, the main town of the tribal region of Kurram in north-west Pakistan. | A security official said the explosion took place in Parachinar, the main town of the tribal region of Kurram in north-west Pakistan. |
Violence and vote-rigging fears have marred the election campaign. | Violence and vote-rigging fears have marred the election campaign. |
However, the authorities said they were succeeding in their efforts to ensure the vote would be free and fair. | However, the authorities said they were succeeding in their efforts to ensure the vote would be free and fair. |
The election was delayed after Mrs Bhutto, the head of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was assassinated in Rawalpindi on 27 December. | The election was delayed after Mrs Bhutto, the head of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), was assassinated in Rawalpindi on 27 December. |
'Severe emergency' | |
A security official said a suicide bomber in a car had carried out the attack outside the PPP office in Parachinar. | |
At least 90 people were reported injured. | |
Most of the victims appeared to be PPP members, Mushtaq Hussain, an administrative official in the Kurram area told the Associated Press news agency. | |
A PPP supporter, Zafar Ali, told AP: "Several of our party members are lying in a pool of blood. We are taking the injured and dumping them into pickup vans to bring them to the hospital." | |
A doctor at the main hospital in Parachinar told the French news agency AFP: "It's a very severe emergency, a lot of the wounded are in a critical condition." | |
'Conspiracy' | |
The blast came a day after Pakistan's Attorney General Malik Qayyum rejected allegations that there would be massive rigging in Monday's election. | |
Violence has marred the run-up to Monday's election | |
Human Rights Watch released an audio recording in which it says Mr Qayyum makes the comments about rigging. | |
Mr Qayyum said the allegations were "a conspiracy against Pakistan". | |
Mr Qayyum is a close ally of President Pervez Musharraf. | |
The president will not be standing in the parliamentary vote on 18 February. | |
But the former military leader could face a serious challenge to his authority if the vote produces a hostile parliament packed with his opponents. | |
The PPP says it will consider street protests if it suspects electoral fraud. | |
Mr Musharraf has however warned against any such action. | |
He stepped down as army chief late last year and this election is seen as another key step in Pakistan's transition from military to civilian rule. | |
In a separate incident on Saturday in the south-western town of Quetta, police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse a rally of about 1,000 people from opposition parties boycotting next week's elections, police and witnesses told AFP. |